Monday, September 30, 2024

2024 - Third Quarterly Review


To assist my blog readers, I summarize my reading four times a year, providing a brief description, the page count, and a grading scale (💖5 thumbs up - highly recommend, 4 thumbs up - enjoyed, 3 thumbs up - good, 2 thumbs up - meh, and 1 thumb down - regret, wishing I could get back the time invested). I read the following books during the third quarter of 2024 (links to full reviews can be found in the side-bar, or after 2024, found through the search bar at the right):

Origins of a Story by Jake Grogan - 202 stories of the inspiration behind famous works of literature. Delightfully intriguing, even for the ones I didn't know. 320 pages, 👍👍👍👍

The Getaway Girls by Dee MacDonald - 3 older women set off on a caravan adventure seeking escape, connection, and love. Light-hearted beach read. 340 pages, 👍👍👍

Tree. Table. Book. by Lois Lowry - 11-year-old Sophie prods stories from her best friend, 88-year-old Sophie as they face down declining cognitive abilities. Sweet tale. 208 pages, 👍👍👍-1/2

💖Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte - A penniless child sent, by callous relatives, to boarding school trains and becomes a governess for a mysterious and magnetic master, Mr. Rochester. Such a well-written and executed novel. Deserves to be the classic it is! 480 pages (I listened in audio form, 16 CDs, 17-1/2 hours), 👍👍👍👍👍

The Memory Library by Kate Storey - An estranged mother and daughter reconnect and reconcile through a shared love of books. 337 pages, 👍👍👍

The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip by Sara Brunsvold - Rookie reporter Aidyn Kelly doesn't know what she's in for when asked to write an obituary for the remarkable, hospice patient, Mrs. Clara Kip. A tale of faith, friendship, and final moments. 368 pages (I listened on Hoopla, 10-1/2 hours), 👍👍👍👍

The Divine Proverb of Streusel by Sara Brunsvold - Nikki Werner flees to her father's childhood home after her parents' divorce complicates her relationship with her boyfriend, Isaac. While there, she uncovers her German heritage and attempts to "do the next thing." 308 pages, 👍👍👍👍-1/2

Cold Light of Day by Elizabeth Goddard - A Christian romantic thriller set in Alaska. Will the mysterious Grier Brenner confess why he is in Shadow Gap and how he is perfectly prepared for helping the police chief deal with the current crime spate? 336 pages, 👍👍👍

What a Wave Must Be by Angela Hunt - A Christian novel about suicide. Very difficult listen. Not sure I'm glad I bit. 320 pages (I listened on Hoopla, 8 hours), 👍👍

How to Read a Book by Monica Wood - 3 lives intersect in a bookstore demonstrating regret, grief, and forgiveness. It is also about reading and the restorative nature of books. 273 pages, 👍👍👍👍

💖Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt - What a remarkably bright debut novel weaving a tale of a widow, an octopus, and an abandoned young man. Each has dealt with loss, but when they connect it brings all the feels! Didn't want it to end! 368 pages (I listened in audio form, 11-1/4 hours), 👍👍👍👍👍

The Year That Changed Us by Helen Rolfe - Best friends Emma and Lise head to Paris for a year of adventure. What transpires leads to fractures in the friendship that take years to surmount. 322 pages (I listened on Hoopla, 9-1/4 hours), 👍👍👍

A Thousand Times Yes: Two Doctors Who Answered God's Call by Wana Ann G. Fort with Kim P. Davis - An uplifting missionary story of a life of faith, family, and fortitude. 183 pages, 👍👍👍

The Joy of Falling by Lindsay Harrel - Two women attempt a marathon race to raise money in memory of their deceased adventurous husbands. 336 pages (I listened on Hoopla, 10 hours), 👍👍👍-1/2

Hope is the First Dose: A Treatment Plan for Recovering from Trauma, Tragedy and Other Massive Things by Dr. W. Lee Warren - After his son was stabbed to death, Dr. Warren sought to discern what keeps people from bouncing back after tragedy and traumatic events of life. He logically explains, with great personal illustrations, how important hope is in the process of healing. 260 pages, 👍👍👍👍-1/2

The Telephone Box Library by Rachael Lucas - A frazzled history teacher turns up in a Cotswolds village and strikes up friendship and love, finding her place in the community. 391 pages, 👍👍👍

The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman by Gennifer Choldenko - Hank Hooperman hates making mistakes. He's made quite a few, but his worst one yet is the tenth one on his list: "Trusted my mother." 306 pages, 👍👍👍👍-1/2

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